


A Thousand Times Yes

by LouMakesMeStrong94



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Boyfriends, Canon Compliant, Clumsy Harry, Fluff, Love, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Nervous Louis, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-28
Updated: 2015-01-28
Packaged: 2018-03-09 12:05:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3249017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LouMakesMeStrong94/pseuds/LouMakesMeStrong94
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Four years together and they had worn out the words "marry me" but Louis wants to make it official.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Thousand Times Yes

Four years together and they had worn out the words “marry me”. Harry was the first to say it during their ski trip after the X Factor. Louis’s chest was pressed to his back, warm from the fire and each other’s skin. He hadn’t meant to say it out loud, but his mouth had other plans. Just as they were both drifting off, Harry let out a contented sigh, saying “marry me, Lou.” The younger boy froze in the arms of his boyfriend, praying he hadn’t heard him. Louis chuckled into Harry’s hair and pressed a kiss to the back of his neck. “Of course, Curly,” he answered drowsily before snuffling deeper into Harry’s curls and settling into a peaceful sleep. 

After that it became their mantra, pressed into the spaces between kisses, mumbled sleepily between shoulder blades, groaned into their necks in bed, shouted across the stage during rehearsals. Louis would use it as a defense when Harry got on to him about not doing the cleaning or the washing up. “Well you already said you’d marry me a hundred times over, Haz. I don’t see much point in trying to impress,” he would joke before grabbing a drying towel to help Harry.

The words had been passed between them more times than either could count and Louis couldn’t understand why he was so nervous about it this time. The words were easier than breathing but he felt a knot in his chest that wouldn’t let any air past it. Every time he shifted, he could feel the iconic black box in his suit jacket. It was different this time. As many times as the words had passed between them, there had never been a ring involved. This time it was for real. Louis wanted to ask Harry to be his forever; no jokes, no laughs, just them. He fidgeted in his seat and Harry frowned at him from across the table.

“What’s wrong, love?” he asked, concern coloring his tone. He had that little crease between his eyebrows that Louis found so endearing.

“Nothing, babe,” Louis shrugged him off. “Bit antsy, I suppose.” Understanding washed over Harry’s face.

“Are you nervous about pitching that new song tomorrow?” he asked. Louis had completely forgotten about the song he had written for their fifth album that he was showing to their record label in the morning.

“Yeah, that’s it,” he nodded, lying through his teeth. The song was nothing compared to this. 

“They’re going to love it, Lou,” Harry assured, reaching for his hand across the table. Louis looked at his boyfriend’s hand intently, imagining the ring in his pocket on Harry’s finger. If he could just get the words out.

They finished their dinner in comfortable silence, feet knocking into each other with mischievous grins. Louis picked up the tab and they left the posh restaurant that was much more Harry’s speed than his. He didn’t want to ask the love of his life to marry him in there anyways.

“Wish we could go for a stroll through the park,” Louis mused as they waited for their private car by the back entrance.

“I do too, love,” Harry replied, sadness coloring his tone. Shit. Louis hadn’t meant to remind of that.

“Soon,” Louis assured, bumping his shoulder to Harry’s softly before entangling their fingers. Harry pressed a kiss to the side of his head.

As their driver took them home, Louis was kicking himself in the backseat, cuddled up next to Harry. He had been planning this for weeks. Months if you counted his extensive search for the perfect ring. Reservations at Harry’s favorite restaurant weren’t hard to manage--being a member of the biggest band on the planet did have its perks--but arranging it so no tabloids or fans caught wind of where they were had been a headache. As they got closer to home, Harry could sense Louis was in a mood, but he left him to his thoughts. He knew Louis would talk when he was ready. They thanked their driver and went inside their house that the media thought belonged solely to Harry. Should they step inside, they would be able to see the undeniable presence of Louis Tomlinson: Vans scattered around the front door, Xbox controllers on the coffee table, teacups balanced on the case of the newest edition of Fifa. The boys had managed to build their own home inside these walls without fear of being discovered or outed. Thankfully, those walls would come down soon and they would be free to behave as they wished anywhere. At this thought, Louis spun around and wrapped Harry up in his arms.

“Love you,” he mumbled against his lips, already nipping at them insistently. Harry laughed at his change in mood and placed his hands on Louis’s hips. He traced his fingers lightly along Louis’s hipbones through his dress shirt in the way he knew drove him crazy.

“Love you too,” he breathed, noses bumping as Louis pulled away to start working on Harry’s neck. When his knees started to buckle, Louis pushed him into the wall, keeping his mouth latched onto Harry’s pulsepoint where a pretty lovebite was forming.

“Lou,” Harry groaned as Louis bit down. “Bedroom, please.” Louis gave him another sharp nip before pulling away and dragging Harry upstairs to their king-sized bed. He stripped himself down to his pants before jumping on the bed and waiting for Harry to join him. As Harry worked his tight trousers down his legs, he got tangled up around his ankles and went crashing to the floor. Louis tried to hide his giggles behind his hand as he crawled to the edge of the bed to check on Harry.  
“You ok, love?” he laughed. It was Harry’s fond, slightly disgruntled look from the floor that finally loosened the knot in Louis’s chest. 

They weren't some fancy restaurant where they had to schedule a private room just to eat dinner. They weren't a place that forced Louis to ditch his Vans and Harry to leave his headscarves behind. They weren't this picture of romance that Louis thought was necessary for a proposal. No. They were Louis and Harry. Ripping each other's clothes off one minute and giggling like children the next. They were home and comfortable and themselves.

Louis scrambled off the bed to his suit jacket, grabbing the ring box.

"Lou, what are you--"

"Marry me," Louis cut Harry off. The elaborate speech he had prepared flew out of his mind. He didn't need it anyways. Any words he could ever say to Harry had already been etched into their skin for all the times they couldn't say them out loud.

Harry's eyes took in the ring box Louis had thrust into his face.

"Louis?" He whispered, not fully believing what was happening. Louis smiled at him encouragingly and lifted the lid on the box. Inside, nestled in the black fabric was a wide silver band with a braided rope etched around it. 

"I've loved you since I was 18 years old, Harry, and you’ve made me be the person I always wanted to be. I know we've asked each other a thousand times, but I thought it might be time we made it official." Louis pulled the ring from the box to let Harry see what was engraved inside the band. The curly lad's eyes filled with happy tears when he saw the word "Strong" inside his ring. It was their song and so much more. It represented how they made each other better, how they leaned on each other through the closeting and the bullshit, how they were still holding on, better than ever before. The word was a promise. That they would never let go or give up on the love they had found in the other.

"You know, Styles, I've asked you this loads of times, but your lack of response is really making my nerves do bad things," Louis joked, hand shaking slightly as he held the ring out to Harry. 

"Yes," Harry breathed, taking Louis's face in his hands. "I've said yes a thousand times before and I'll say it a thousand times again. Yes-yes-yes!" He punctuated each words with a kiss to Louis's face. 

"Had me worried there for a minute babe," Louis laughed as Harry peppered his face with more kisses. "Let me put this on you. I've been dying to see it on your hand for weeks!"

Harry held out his hand and Louis gently slid the ring into place on his left ring finger. He kept Harry's hand clasped tightly in his before placing gentle kisses on Harry's knuckles and his fingertips.

"I love it, Lou. I really do. It's perfect," Harry smiled, utterly content with the world.

"Well I'm certainly glad," Louis grinned back. "You're stuck with it and me for the rest of your life."

"I wouldn't want it any other way," Harry promised, pulling Louis back into a kiss.


End file.
